Hoe.



FRANK ZIMA, 0F HUMPHLREY, NEBRASKA..

HOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedoctkia, 1915.

Application tiled November 18, 1914. Serial No. 872,370.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK ZIMA, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria-Hungary, residing at Humphrey, in the county of Platte and Stateof Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Hoes,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gardening plements and more particularly to an1mproved hoe.

One of the principal. objects of my invention is to provide an improvedhoe especially adapted` for the weeding and cultivation of closelyplanted vegetables such as sugar beets, etc.

Another' object of the invention is to provide an improved hoe having ablade substantially in the form of a sector having` a curved cuttingedge adapted for general use in weeding and cultivating and havingworking points formed by the angular disposition of the rear or backedges of the hoe With the cutting edge, these points being particularlyadapted for use in breaking hard ground and in weeding closely plantedvegetables Without injury to the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hoe of the classdescribed which ma be used equally well by a right or by a le t handedperson and which is readily adapted for the utilization of the cuttingedge or either Working point Without necessitating reversal of the hoe.

A still further object is to provide a hoe having a. handle socketprovided with a cutaway portion defining points or edges which may bestruck by a suitable instrument to embed them in the'wooden handle ofthe hoe for preventing loss or loosening of the hoe blade from thehandle;

u Still another object of the' invention is to provide 'a hoe which willbe extremely simple, durable, eiiicient in operation and inexpensive tomanufacture, and which possesses the additional advantages of being selfsharpening and cleaning.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the construction,combination and arrangement f parts, hereinafter more fully describedand claimed,

Y and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which like charactersof reference tional view taken on the indicate like parts throughout theseveral figures, of Which- Figurel represents a perspective View of ahoe constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 represents a plan viewthereof looking toward the concaved side ofthe hoe. Fig. 3 represents avertical transverse'secplane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4represents a longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane indicated bythe line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a view of the hoe looking atthe same from the upper or back edge thereof, and Fig. 6 represents aperspective view of the handle socket. l Referring more particularly tothe drawing, the hoe comprises a blade 5, handle 6, a socket 7 formedintegrally with the As indicated in Fig. 2 the blade is in the generalform of a sector, and is provided with an arcuate or curved sharpcutting edge 8, and the back edges 9, disposed at ali obtuse angle toeach other, and converging from the ends of the cutting edge to a pointabove the center thereof, at which point, which may be termed the apexof the blade, the socket 7 is formed. As clearly indicated in Figs. 3and 4 the blade is of a concavoconvex formation both laterallyandlongitudinally, the rear side or face l0 of the -bade being -conveXedWhile the front side or face 11 thereof is concaved. At its apex 12 theblade is comparatively thick and heavy, and tapers ofi" bothlongitudinally along the back edges 9 and transversely of the bladealong the broken line 3 3 of Fig. 2, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 3respectively, so that the heaviest portion of the blade occurs at theapex thereof and fromthis 'point' the blade gradually and uniformlytapers in all directions. The socket 7 is formed integrally with theblade and is connectedv substantially directly to the blade. Thisconstruction eliminates the usual shank or goose neck, and rendersv theimplement particularly strong and free from vibration while it is inuse. The gradual tapering of the blade from its apex to its edges alsotends to eliminate the vibration usually found in hoes of this generalcharacter.

The cutting edge 8 is sharpened throughout its entire length, and theback edges 9 are not sharp but are rounded ofi` so as to `vating closelyplanted vegetables.

be free from any sharp edges, and the working points 13 formed at theends of the cut. ting edge by the angular disposition of edges 9 withsaid cutting edge, are particu.- larly adapted for use in weeding andculti- This particular and advantageous utilization resides in the factthat by reason of the back edges 9 being rounded and forming one angleor leg of the working points, leaves and stalksor roots of thevegetables will not be cut or abraded while the sharp edge forming theother leg of the point is being used in chopping or cutting the weeds.

The rounded or arcuate cutting edge 8 presents advantages in the factthat a longer cutting edge is obtained than wouldbe the case if the edgewere straight, and furthermore the thrust occurring at any point in thecutting edge Will be directed to the thickened portion lor apex of thehoe blade. There will thus be a decided less danger of breakage thanwould be the case were the hoe blade straight. The hoe may be used toequal advantage by right handedor by a left handed person, and as willbe understood either the cutting edge 8 dr the working points 13 may bebrought into play by y slightly twisting the hoe or byl slightly 30changing the direction of the stroke, thus doing away with the necessityof reversing the hoe, which latter is a great disadvantage accruing tothose hoes having working edges for different uses, on opposite sides ofthe handle.

By reason of the concavo-convex formationl of the hoe blade, the workingedge 8 thereof will automatically remain sharp as the blade graduallywears away, and this l.; 917 of the cut-away portion 14. These points ipeculiar formation will also render the hoe substantially self cleaning.since there will be less liability of earth becoming clogged uponthefaces of the hoe blade.

The handle socket 7 is provided on its under side .with a lsubstantiallyV-shaped cut-away portion 14 defining points 15 at theapexes formed.l bythe meeting of the frontedge 16 of the socket and the edges arerelatively thin as indicated, and by striking the points or adjacentVportions of the socket with a heavy instrument at lany time, the metalmay be partially embedded-1- in the handleof the hoe, topreventloosening or loss of the hoe from the handle.

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention,"Imay desire to make such changes in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts thereof as d0 not 'depart from the spirit of theinvention andthe scope of the appended claims.

I claim f 1. In a hoe, a sector shaped blade having l a sharpenedarcuate cutting-edge, and having dull back edges disposed at an obtuseangle to each other, said back edges being `disposed at anl acute angletothe cuttingv edge for forming Working points, said blade being thickerat its apex and gradually tapering in all directions toward said cuty'working points at the junction of the back` edges with said cuttingedges, said blade being of a concavo-convex formation bothlongitudinally and transversely, and a handle socket formed at theA apexof the blade.

3. In a hoe, a blade of concavo-convex formation longitudinally andtransversely, having a curved and sharpened cutting edge defined at ,theedge of the thinnest portion and having back edges angularly disposedwith relation to the cutting edge, working points defined at thejunction of the back and cutting edges, and means whereby a handle maybe connected with the blade.

FRANK ZIMA.

' Witnesses:

